An Enchanting Film. A piano lover's dream

Rating: 6/10 (2 March 2007)

If you love music, you will love The Legend of 1900. If you enjoy enchanting stories, this film fills that need. If you prefer period pieces, the costumes, scenery and music will whisk you back to the turn of the 20th Century. Finally, if you enjoy a movie that leaves you thinking long after the credits have run, this movie does so. It leaves you questioning everything you've just seen, while appreciating everything you've just heard.
The Legend of 1900 is about an orphan boy who is abandoned aboard a luxury ocean liner at the start of the 20th Century. Reared in the underbelly of the ship by one of its workers, he is named Danny Boodmann T.D. Lemon 1900 after his adopted father, the lemon box he was found it and the year he was born. Nicknamed 1900, he soon discovers his natural talent as a pianist and gains notoriety as the ship's piano player. He befriends a traveling saxophone player. The film is told through the sax player's eyes.
While 1900 has never left the confines of the ship, he is not a hermit. He is widely visible and much beloved. He gains fame by beating renowned Jazz pianist Jelly Roll Morton in a duel. But no fame can remove him from his home. As such, we see 1900 as a man of limited experiences; not little experience. He has experienced friendship, if fleeting. He has experienced love, if only for a moment. He has experienced celebrity status, if barely outside the boat. It is a contemporary tale of a confined genius whose home is a ship, the sea and his music. The simplicity with which he lives does not mask his talent, it simply binds it.
There are two things that make this movie better than it should be. The first is the music. While a movie about a piano prodigy should have a great soundtrack, the beauty is that the entire score is the story of 1900's life. We are told early on that 1900 writes what he sees. He writes music to complement the actions of the travelers. At times the soundtrack seems to follow the same pattern. The music is not just a peripheral element. It is part of his character. The music accompanies the movie just as it has accompanied 1900 through his entire life.
The second piece that makes this movie work is the story-telling feel. We truly feel that the only way 1900 will be remembered is if his story continues to be told. We believe that not only will the saxophone player further his story, but so will the countless travelers who have come into contact with him. While 1900 comes across as reserved and timid at times, his talent will make him stand out even more than he would want. Though his only recording may have been destroyed, by word of mouth, his legacy will live on.
Tim Roth has a talent for giving emotional performances with a quiet grace that does not overwhelm the scene. He seems to let the character's actions speak for themselves. In Rob Roy, Roth's character is soft spoken, yet his actions are powerful and revolting. As an audience, we would still despise his character even if he never opened him mouth. And his dark eyes seem to project a character that has something to hide. Whether intentional or unintentional, Roth projects a character that is deeper and more complex than he lets on.
1900 is that type of character. As a piano player, 1900 has always expressed himself through his music. Apart from the piano, his actions seem slow and deliberate. His words are simple and carefully chosen, even rehearsed at times. We go through much of the film not knowing what makes him tick. At times he seems scarred by a life at sea. At times he seems completely at peace. At times we feel sorry for him. Other times we applaud him. Such is The Legend of 1900.